If the death penalty was brought back, someone innocent would inevitably be killed at some point
Right-wing blogger Guido Fawkes (Paul Staines) is pushing a Number 10 e-petition to reinstate the death penalty. His campaign has already gained widespread support, from Murdoch newspaper The Sun to Tory MP Philip Davies (from ‘let the disabled be exploited at below the minimum wage’ and ‘can’t we bring back blacking up’ fame). Mr Davies said:
“It’s something where once again the public are a long way ahead of the politicians. I’d go further and restore it for all murderers.”
However, a quick google search and look through the ‘Innocent‘ database finds that murder charges are fairly regularly overturned in the British Courts. People whose original conviction for murder that have been quashed include:
Andrew Adams who was convicted of murdering science teacher Jack Royal in 1990. Members of the jury later come forward to say they had considered evidence not put before the court, the police had been in contact with witnesses during the trial, and that verdicts of not guilty were returned on others involved in the case, inconsistent with Adams’ guilty verdict
Soldier Andrew Evans, who was convicted of the murder of 14-year-old Judith Roberts on the basis of a dream he experienced
Sean Hodgson, who was convicted of the murder of bar worker Theresa de Simone in 1979, and served 27 years despite David Lace confessing to the murder in 1983
Josephine Smith, whose conviction of murder for her husband was changed to manslaughter, after it was established he had repeatedly beat her and subject her to sexual abuse. Smith had originally pleaded guilty to manslaughter
Tony Martin, whose conviction of murder was reduced to manslaughter for shooting burglars who entered his home, which he had done in a ‘blind panic’
And there are dozens more. It seems odd that a libertarian such as Staines thinks that the state is incompetent to do almost anything other than decide who to kill. Under Davies’s policy, all these people would have now been killed by the state in cold blood.
Under Staines’s plan (cop-killers and child murderers would be liable for the death penalty), Andrew Evans would now have been killed.
So what price a life? Is it right that some innocent people are killed so that others receive thier comeuppance? If, as MP Priti Patel believes, deterence did work (which would imply murderers rationally weigh out risks and benefits to actions, and that a life sentence is seen as a fair risk), how many is it OK to kill to ensure that murderers are put off?
All this ‘ends justifies the means’ thinking and trading of lives feels bizarrely stalinist for conservatives and libertarians. If the death penalty is brought back, it is only a matter of time until someone is innocent is killed – an odd outcome to a campaign based on abhorrence of murder.
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85 Responses to “Five good reasons why the death penalty should not be reinstated”
Robert
The sad part is we see to many over turned because the Police are either under pressure to find a killer anyone will do, to just plain bad police, and to police who will fit up a person.
To shit lawyers who are basically not interested because the person cannot afford a better lawyer no money
No we should never again hang people it’s barbaric anyway.
Ed's Talking Balls
If nothing else, debate is healthy so I do hope that the petition passes the signatures threshold. A significant number of people would support the return of the death penalty hence the very least our representatives should do is discuss it.
The argument that one innocent person being executed militates against the reintroduction of capital punishment is persuasive. However, I would also like to see a list of murderers and paedophiles who reoffend. I suspect it would be far longer.
Therefore, if there is to be no comeback for the death penalty, I would certainly favour genuine life imprisonment rather than the charade we have now. Proper life imprisonment offers civil society the same protection and nearly as much retribution as capital punishment; it’s the least these heinous offences warrant.
Releasing paedophiles and murderers after relatively short sentences is a vile insult to victims and puts the rest of us in grave danger.
Frances Downey
. @dlknowles @TimMontgomerie Five (rather conservative) reasons oppose the death penalty on @leftfootfwd: http://t.co/szcVGZU
Clare Jordan
. @dlknowles @TimMontgomerie Five (rather conservative) reasons oppose the death penalty on @leftfootfwd: http://t.co/szcVGZU
Anon E Mouse
If there is a single reader of this article that believes that the torturers and murderers of Baby Peter shouldn’t have faced the hangman’s noose is seriously lacking in humanity and cares nothing for the weakest in our society.
That’s why a huge majority of the public support capital punishment. The majority opinion is right.
Leon Wolfson, who by his own admission has survived numerous attempts on his life from shootings and bombings and ambushes, would have been relieved the perpetuators would have been unable to put other’s live’s at risk.
And acted as a deterrent to prevent other people suffering.
I find the position Wolfy takes surprising in view of nearly losing his life so many times at the hands of vile people…